Episodes
June 17, 2021
A Parent’s Perspective; Summer App Work; Tuition Payment Plans
This year our own Elizabeth Heaton is in our listeners’ shoes as she helps her son navigate the college process. She’s sharing her thoughts with co-host Ian Fisher. We’ll also lay out a suggested schedule of summer work for r...
June 10, 2021
Med School Residency Matching; Listener Q&A
Many students think the final hurdle to becoming a doctor is graduating from medical school. But in fact there is another one looming: residency matching. If you don’t get a residency, you can not become a doctor. We have som...
June 3, 2021
ROTC, Tuition Reciprocity Programs, Recommendation Letters
Have you heard that you can pay in-state prices for an out-of-state school? One way to make this happen is through tuition reciprocity programs. We’ll discuss how those work in today’s podcast. We also have information about ...
May 27, 2021
Staying Healthy in College; Healthy Finances and Mental Health
This week’s show is all about health, from remaining healthy while you’re in college to maintaining healthy finances as a way of supporting mental health. Jill and Dave Henry, authors of the newly published College Health Gui...
May 20, 2021
Scholarship Searches; Film Majors; Common App Activities List
As frequent listeners to our program know, the best sources of scholarship money are the colleges themselves. But there is more money out there for students willing to put the time in to look. We’ll offer tips on doing those ...
May 13, 2021
SAT VS ACT—What Are the Differences?: Listener Q&A
Those students who do plan to take standardized tests this year have a choice: ACT or SAT. But how do you make that choice if you don’t know what the differences are? ArborBridge CEO and former tutor and curriculum director M...
May 6, 2021
College Deposit; Working In College; Pre-Med Application Options
Congrats to all those seniors who have made their decision and deposited at the college they will attend next fall. Now what? We have what you need to know about what comes next. In our ongoing medical school series, we’re co...
April 29, 2021
Gap Year Options; Athletic Recruits; Project Management Tips
Wanting a break before starting college or looking for something interesting to do before applying? Rebecca Barr of Education First will join this week’s podcast to discuss gap year options through Education First. We also ha...
April 22, 2021
Who Gets In and Why: A Conversation with Jeffrey Selingo
Excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo to the show to discuss his latest, Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions. We discuss everything from the impact of marketing and rankings on...
April 15, 2021
Applying to Undergraduate Business Schools; Listener Q&A
Interested in majoring in business as an undergraduate? We’ll share information on coursework and activities that might help your application stand out. We’re also answering your college admissions and finance questions in ou...
April 8, 2021
Making a Final College Choice; Applying to Catholic Colleges
If you’re a senior, you are likely in the middle of deciding where you’ll attend college next year. We have thoughts on how to evaluate your choices en route to making a final choice. We also have insight on Catholic colleges...
April 1, 2021
Summer Planning; Career Counseling for Teens; FAFSA Changes
It’s almost summer (please!)—have you made plans to do something interesting? Tune in to learn more about finding and deciding on summer opportunities, whether in-person or virtual. If you aren’t sure what your career path is...
March 25, 2021
Discussion with reporter Melissa Korn, co-author of Unacceptable
Join us this week for an in-depth discussion with Wall Street Journal reporter, Melissa Korn, co-author of Unacceptable. We’ll delve into the who, what, where, and why of the Varsity Blues scandal. More importantly, we’ll tal...
March 18, 2021
Preparing for the College Essay; Listener Q&A
For colleges that require it, the college essay can be a key component of a successful application. In no surprise to anyone, writing is hard! We have ideas on how to work on your writing skills in preparation for writing you...
March 11, 2021
Demonstrating Interest; RD Results; Parent Financing Options
COVID, COVID, COVID. Are you as tired of it as we are? As you know, COVID has impacted a number of things about the admissions process, especially visiting colleges. Traditionally the gold standard of demonstrating interest t...
March 4, 2021
Veteran/Military Families; Racial Justice & Equity at Whittier
If you are part of a military family or a veteran, you’ll want to tune in to today’s show. We’re looking at veterans going through the college admissions process and financial benefits for veteran and military students and th...
Feb. 25, 2021
Military Academy Application; College Lists; Financial Aid Awards
Eager to start the college process but not sure how to begin? We have a framework you can use to build your preliminary list, and we’re sharing details. For those interested in pursuing admission to a military academy, we hav...
Feb. 18, 2021
Standardized Test Policies for 2021/2022; Listener Q&A
When COVID hit in March 2020, it disrupted life for everyone across the globe, including college admissions. Standardized test dates were cancelled, rescheduled, and cancelled again, and ultimately more than 1200 colleges and...
Feb. 11, 2021
Affirmative Action; Financial Aid Awards; Too Late to Apply?
There have been a few recent court cases related to the use of affirmative action in college admissions. But what is affirmative action in this case, and how is it really used in admissions? Jamiere Abney, Coordinator of Outr...
Feb. 4, 2021
Ivy League Admits; Employer-Funded Degrees; In-State Tuition
We often mention the difference between being competitive in a highly selective applicant pool versus being compelling, which is the difference between who gets in and who does not. We’re sharing actual examples of compelling...
Jan. 28, 2021
Who Gets In and Why: A Year In College Admissions
Have you read Jeff Selingo’s book, Who Gets In and Why: A Year in College Admissions? Well our team has, and we’ll be reviewing the book in this week’s episode. Find out what we think he got right and if we think he missed so...
Jan. 21, 2021
Scholarship Offers; Med School Gap Years; Associates to Bachelors
As admissions decisions start to come in, you may receive scholarship offers from some of your schools. Did you know you can negotiate for more? Learn more about the dos and don’ts of this process. We also have details on why...
Jan. 14, 2021
Admissions Bloopers; Listener Q&A
We talk a lot about what to do as part of your college admissions process. This week, we have some cautionary tales of mistakes some have made in the hopes that you can avoid making similar bloopers. In Officer Hours, we’re a...
Jan. 7, 2021
Applications Are In: Now What?; Tips for Juniors Getting Started
Seniors: your applications are in. What can you do now? We’ll talk about steps you can take on the admissions and finance side while you wait for your decisions. Juniors: you’re up! We have advice for starting the college pro...